Drivers

Walmart Makes Changes, Ups Spending to Attract Truck Drivers

Walmart is offering a $1,500 referral bonus to help find new private fleet drivers.

Photo courtesy Walmart

Walmart is looking to add more highly qualified drivers for its private fleet and has announced a new $1,500 bonus for driver referrals as well as speeding the onboarding process.

With increased freight demand the company is looking to hire more long-haul truck drivers for its private fleet and has asked drivers to help bring in more talent.

“To be candid, right now I could hire a few hundred drivers,” Tracy Rosser, Walmart’s senior vice president of transportation, told Bloomberg.

The company has also made changes to its hiring process to onboard new drivers more quickly. Under a new pilot program that is already in place in Bentonville, Arkansas, the onboard process will speed up by as much as a month. The company will be looking to expand the new process to Indianapolis this month.

Walmart’s private fleet currently has about 7,500 drivers and 6,500 tractors, with each driver traveling an average of 100,000 miles each year. Private fleet drivers can earn an average of $86,000 annually, accrue up to 21 days of paid time off, and have access to benefits from the beginning, according to Walmart.

For National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Sept. 9-15, the retail giant has also run its first television commercial dedicated to its fleet drivers, expressing appreciation for the important role they play with the company.

McLeod’s newest version of its LoadMaster transportation software, Version 19.1, marks the debut of LoadMaster Driver Choice, a tool fleets can use to better match loads and drivers, as well as a new Trip Management module.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on a “potential” pilot program that would allow drivers ages 18 to 20 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce.

A federal court has determined it lacks jurisdiction to rule on a class-action suit brought against U.S. Xpress that alleges the motor carrier violated California's rules governing meal and rest breaks for commercial vehicle drivers.